Conventional computer operating systems often provide user interfaces in which a number of windows can be displayed, overlapped, resized, moved, configured, and reformatted according to the needs of the user or an application. Taskbars, menus, virtual buttons and other user interface elements provide mechanisms for accessing and activating windows. Although users often appreciate the benefits provided by windows, many users also find such conventional user interface elements difficult to navigate.
The deficiencies of conventional user interface elements are compounded on mobile devices, where a limited display area makes it difficult to design a user interface that can be easily navigated by a user. Due to a large number of applications available to a user on a mobile device, a virtual desktop of a mobile device can become cluttered with application icons, making the desktop difficult to navigate. Moreover, a user may only need to access a subset of application icons for a given task at a given time.